Landing Coverage for China's Shenzhou 6 Spaceflight

Chinese astronaut Nie Haisheng, with the help of workers, gets out of the re-entry capsule of China's second manned spacecraft, Shenzhou-6, after landing in Siziwang Banner (County), north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Monday, Oct. 17, 2005.

Credit: AP Photo/Xinhua, Zhao Jianwei.

6:30 p.m. EDT

China's Xinhua News Agency states that Shenzhou 6 astronaut Nie Haisheng has a healthy appetite after his five-day spaceflight with crewmate Fei Junlong, and eating instant noodles during his medical checks.

While the two Shenzhou
6 astronauts undergo medical checks aboard a recovery helicopter, their
spacecraft's orbital module - which was jettisoned before landing - is performing
well in orbit, China's Xinhua News Agency reported.

Both astronauts have exited their
spacecraft and were immediately presented with flowers and seated in chairs.
They waved as they stepped down from the spacecraft, then again together with
their feet firmly planted back on Earth.

Video of their egress was broadcast
on China Central Television (CCTV)

Fei thanked the audience and the
motherland for their support during the mission during the live broadcast.

Additional medical checkups are
underway, CCTV reports.

Here is a rundown of Shenzhou
6's landing operations to date with most recent activities first:

Recovery crews
have opened the spacecraft's hatch, China's official Xinhua News Agency said, adding that Shenzhou 6
landed about six kilometers away from the touchdown spot of Shenzhou
5 - China's first manned spacecraft.

Shenzhou 5 launched on
Oct. 15, 2003, sending astronaut Yang Liwei on a 21
1/2 -hour, 14 orbit before landing in the Siziwang
Banner region of Inner Mongolia in northern China. China is the third country
to build and launch humans into orbit. Shenzhou 6 is
the country's second manned spaceflight and its first to carry two astronauts.

5:08 p.m. EDT

Medical
teams are still enroute to Shenzhou 6's landing site, which
is about one kilometer from its original target, according to China's state
television and print media reports.

Initial
recovery teams have already reached the spacecraft, where astronauts Fei Junlong and Nie
Haisheng have returned from a five-day
mission. They are reportedly in good health after a safe landing, according to
China's official Xinhua News Agency.

Flight
controllers at China's Beijing Aerospace Control and Command Center were shown
applauding on China Central Television (CCTV) after hearing of Shenzhou
6's successful landing.

Shenzhou 6
astronauts Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng report that they are in "good health" after
a "safe landing," Xinhua News Agency
reports.

Recovery helicopters have landed near the spacecraft's landing site,
which is reportedly not far from its original target, China Central Television
(CCTV) reports.

4:42 p.m. EDT

China's Shenzhou
6 spacecraft and its two-astronaut crew have safely returned to Earth after an
on-time Sunday landing on the grasslands of Inner Mongolia.

Shenzhou
6 astronauts Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng
landed at 4:32:50 p.m. EDT (22032:50 GMT, 0432:50 Oct. 17 Beijing Time) in the Siziwang
Banner region of Inner Mongolia in north China, China Central Television (CCTV)
reported, adding that aside from high winds weather at the landing site was
favorable.

The
astronauts told flight controllers that they were "feeling good" and that the
main parachutes performed well, China's official Xinhua
News Agency reported.

Six
helicopters, 14 special vehicles and more than 200 recovery workers have been
mobilized for Shenzhou 6's return at its primary landing site,
according to Sui Qisheng, chief commander in
charge of landing, Xinhua reported.

"We have drawn out detailed plans
to ensure that rescue workers and equipment will arrive at where the capsule
lands," Sui told Xinhua before the landing.

Fei
and Nie
orbited the Earth since launching
spaceward atop a Long March 2F rocket on Oct. 12 Beijing Time (Oct. 11 GMT).
Their mission marks China's second manned spaceflight since the launch of
astronaut Yang Liwei aboard Shenzhou
5 in 2003, as well as the country's first two-astronaut mission. China is
the third country to independently launch astronauts into Earth orbit after
Russia and the U.S. Its Shenzhou
- or "Divine Vessel" - series spacecraft borrow a basic design from Russia's Soyuz
spacecraft, but are heavily modified and modernized.

The Shenzhou
6 crew flew more than 1.8 million miles (2.8 million kilometers) and orbited
the Earth more than 71 times during their spaceflight, China's state media
reported.

Fei and Nie have
performed a series of physical experiments to test the integrity of their
spacecraft, as well as cytology, earth observation and human physiology tests, Xinhua
said.

The two
astronauts - also known as "taikonauts" - said Sunday that
they appreciated the support of their country, state media reported.

"We're grateful for the deep love
and concern by all Chinese people, the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan
compatriots," Nie said in a space-to-ground
transmission, according to Xinhua.

Fei
reportedly added that he and Nie were "feeling good" and "happy"
in Earth orbit and planned to "do our utmost to fulfill the mission," the news
agency added.

The Shenzhou 6
spaceflight is designed to further China's human spaceflight experience as it
works toward developing a manned
space station and serve as a symbol of national pride while demonstrating
the country's technological prowess.

China's Air Force Aeronautics
University accepted its eighth group of female pilot trainees in July, and may prove
the source of the country's first female fighter pilots and first female
astronaut, Xinhua said Saturday, adding that some students
are hopeful they'll make the cut.

"My
dream is to become China's first female fighter pilot and first female taikonaut,"
Tao Jiali,
a student from southwest China's Sichuan Province to the university, told Xinhua
Saturday.

Tariq joined Purch's Space.com team in 2001 as a staff writer, and later editor, covering human spaceflight, exploration and space science. He became Space.com's Managing Editor in 2009. Before joining Space.com, Tariq was a staff reporter for The Los Angeles Times. He is also an Eagle Scout (yes, he has the Space Exploration merit badge) and went to Space Camp four times as a kid and a fifth time as an adult. He has journalism degrees from the University of Southern California and New York University. To see his latest project, you can follow Tariq on Google+, Twitter and on Facebook.